Yesterday I used a 'double-hob' griddle for the first time (ie a large
griddle that can be used over two gas rings at the same time). It is
made from cast aluminium and is non-stick. I was cooking pork chops
perfectly happily and then something strange happened... I noticed a
bright (very odd-coloured) blue liquid gathering on the griddle and
there was a noxious smell and lots of smoke. I turned everything off,
opened all the windows and threw the (frankly, delicious looking)
chops away.... just didn't want to mess with anything that blue in my
food. Very annoying...

Then last night, after having been surrounded by this
chemically-smelling smoke, I woke up in the middle of the night with
my eyes in ENOURMOUS pain. I couldn't open them and they were very
swollen apparently. It did eventually go away and I went back to sleep
but eyes are still stinging today.

Questions:

1) What caused the wierd blueness and...

2) ...was my painful night related to the fumes somehow?

Any advice would be very much appreciated... not planning on sueing or
anything so don't worry about legal disclaimers and the like. Just
wondering if I might have caused any serious damage to myself and
whether I need to follow this up (if it might be related) so that
others won't get the same treatment. Thanks.

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Clarification of Question by rai130-ga on 02 Nov 2004 06:02 PST

I suppose what I'm really asking is: has anyone ever heard of this
sort of thing before?

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 02 Nov 2004 08:29 PST

If this was your first time use of a new griddle, it may well be the
case that it still had a coating of grease and or solvents commonly
used in metal forming processes...metal cookware should ALWAYS be
well-washed before first-time use.

It's also possible that you were experiencing something called
"polymer fume fever" which results from exposure to fumes caused by
the decomposition of the non-stick coatings.  Generally, though, this
only occurs at termperatures hotter than ordinary cooking
temperatures.

I'd say the first scenario is more likely if this was a brand new
griddle -- wash it well, and try it again (but keep the window open!).

Let us know if you need any additional speculations....!

pafalafa-ga

Rai,

Unless you left the plastic wrap or base liner on your chops, it is
most likely the cooking surface. New hotplates will often emit fumes
the first time they are heated. Heat it again to burn off the
remaining residue. As it was blue liquid, sounds like melted plastic.

It wasn't the plastic... it came in just a cardboard box with no
plastic wrapping... it must have been the cooking surface I suppose...

Hi, Rai

Did you read the instructions .... No, of course not ... Nobody ever does!

Maybe, as silver777 suggests, some preliminaries were required.

If you kept the box, please check.

If not, ask the supplier.

Glad that you seem to have recovered.

But, scary!

All the Best

Bryan

There weren't any instructions and I rooted around in the rubbish and
found the box but that had nothing on either... shouldn't have bought
it mail order I suppose. Twas damn scary... and completely useless at
work today cos too tired... also was really looking forward to those
chops...

Rai,

While you're in the rubbish .. what were your chops packed in? As I
mentioned, if they were on a foam plate wrapped in plastic, check your
rubbish bin/trash can. The blood soaker liner can be light blue
plastic on the underside and quilted absorbent paper on top. They
easily stick to the meat. I reckon you grilled yourself some plastic
garnish.

Chops were from the butcher so were in paper... so no probs there...
anyhow they'd been marinading for yonks so I'd have noticed while
preparing them...